Adiponectin is the most relevant adipokine negatively associated with BMD, independent of gender and menopausal status. Inconsistent associations between adipokines and BMD are probably confounded by body composition, in particular fat mass parameters.

The aim of this study was: to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for treating painful vertebral osteoporotic fractures, and to estimate the risk of vertebral fracture in the vicinity of a cemented vertebra. A prospective open study was conducted. PVP were carried out between July 1995 and September 2000 for 16 patients with symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral fracture that had not responded to extensive conservative medical therapy. All the patients were followed-up for more than 1 year. The efficacy of the PVP was assessed by the changes over time in pain on Huskisson's visual analog scale (VAS) and on the McGill-Melzack scoring system (MGM). The efficacy of the procedure was also assessed by measuring the changes over time in quality of life assessed by the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP instrument): twenty-one vertebrae treated by PVP in 16 patients were evaluated. The mean duration of follow-up was 35 months. Pain assessed by the VAS significantly decreased from a mean of 71.4 mm+/-13 before PVP to 36 mm+/-30 after 6 months, and to 39 mm+/-33 at the time of maximal follow-up ( p<0.05 for both comparisons). The results were also significant for the MGM: 3.00+/-0.57 before PVP to 1.6+/-1.4 at the long-term follow-up ( p<0.05). The solely statistically significant decrease for quality of life was noted for pain. A slight but not significant improvement was noted for 3/6 dimensions of the NHP scores. A slight but significant increase in social isolation was also found. No severe complication occurred immediately after PVP. At the long term follow-up (35 months) there was a slight but not significantly increased risk of vertebral fracture in the vicinity of a cemented vertebra: odds ratio 3.18 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51-19.64). The odds ratio of a vertebral fracture in the vicinity of an uncemented fractured vertebra was 2.14 (95% CI: 0.17-26.31). In conclusion, PVP appears to be safe and effective for treating persistent painful osteoporotic fractures. Controlled studies with long-term follow-up are needed to evaluate the risk of vertebral fractures in the vicinity of a cemented vertebra.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the extent of and mechanisms involved in bone loss in anorexia nervosa patients. We compared 113 anorexia nervosa patients (mean age 25 +/- 8 years, mean duration of disease 5.7 +/- 6.1 years) with 21 age-matched controls. Mean duration of amenorrhea was 3.2 +/- 4.7 years. We measured serum calcium and phosphate; bone remodeling markers (osteocalcin, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase [BSAP], serum crosslaps [CTX], and carboxyl-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen [ICTP]); follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels; and estradiol (ultrasensitive assay), cortisol, urinary free cortisol, thyroid function, prolactin, and nutritional factors (insulin-like growth factor I [IGF-I], IGF binding protein 3 [IGFBP3]). In controls, only bone remodeling markers and nutritional factors were measured. Osteodensitometry was also performed on both patients and controls. Weight and body mass index (BMI) were significantly lower in anorexia nervosa patients than in controls (P < 0.0001). No significant differences were observed in biological indicators except for IGF-I, which was lower in anorexia nervosa patients (0.9 +/- 0.4 UI/mL) than in controls (1.5 +/- 0.4 UI/mL) (P < 0.0001). Densitometric measurements at three sites were significantly lower in anorexia nervosa patients and correlated with duration of disease and amenorrhea and with IGF-I at the hip only (P < 0.01). In the study population, osteoporosis was observed in 24 patients (21%) and osteopenia in 54 patients (48%). Patients with osteoporosis were significantly older and had longer disease and amenorrhea durations; lower weight and BMI; higher alkaline phosphatase, BSAP, and osteocalcin; and lower serum ICTP, IGF-I, and IGFBP3. All of these differences were significant and remained so even after multiple adjustments were made, except for IGF-I (P = 0.21). When multivariate analysis was performed, we found that age at onset of amenorrhea, weight, alkaline phosphatase, urinary free cortisol, and serum estradiol concentration accounted for 54% of the variance in spinal bone mineral density (BMD). Duration of amenorrhea, alkaline phosphatase, and weight explained 46.6% of the variance in femoral neck BMD. Duration of amenorrhea, IGF-I, and ICTP levels accounted for 38.6% of the variance observed in total hip BMD. The etiology of bone loss in patients with anorexia nervosa is multifactorial. Hypoestrogenia alone cannot account for this loss, and nutritional factors, IGF-I concentrations in particular, seem to play an important role.

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